The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has been standing by its partners in Armenia since the first days of the COVID -19 outbreak in the country. As the infection spread and the number of COVID -19 cases grew daily, the Government of Armenia faced the necessity to increase the daily testing capacities of the laboratories in the country. Like many countries, Armenia has faced obstacles in the procurement of laboratory equipment that is in high demand amid the world pandemic.
The DTRA readily addressed the request of the Government of Armenia to facilitate the purchase of the required laboratory equipment that would help increase the testing capacities at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDCP) of the Ministry of Health, which DTRA has a long-standing partnership with. The donation of the laboratory equipment by the DTRA to the NCDCP included the DNA/RNA automated extraction equipment together with its consumables, as well as reagents and other laboratory supplies, such as centrifuge, pipette aids, micropipettes, etc. The total cost of the donated equipment, reagents and supplies amounted to over $72 thousand USD.
In addition to the donated equipment, DTRA, through its subcontractor, the Integrated Quality Laboratory Services, as well as the equipment vendor organized a training course for the NCDCP laboratory personnel on the use, validation, and verification of the donated equipment, as well as bench-level practical trainings focused on COVID-19 testing, including molecular biology and serology testing.
DTRA is committed to maintaining the high level of cooperation with the Government of Armenia it has had for many years and is looking forward to continued fruitful collaboration with its partners.
